Seubert, Rev. George P.

Rev. Father George P. Seubert, born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on January 19, 1875, was the devoted pastor of the Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Reedley, California. He was the son of Francis A. and Margaret Seubert and attended local parochial schools until age fourteen before entering Saint Vincent College in Beatty, Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1896, he completed his studies for the priesthood during a three-year enrollment at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. He returned to the United States and was ordained as a priest on March 7, 1899, in Baltimore, Maryland. Following several pastorates in Pennsylvania, he moved to California in 1905 to continue his spiritual service.

On November 15, 1906, Father Seubert was officially appointed pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua Church by Bishop T. J. Conaty. He led the effort to build a permanent church on a ten-lot site located at Eleventh and F Streets, overseeing excavation in October 1907 until its final dedication in May 1911. The $35,000 edifice seated 400 people and featured a large town clock gifted by non-Catholic citizens as a token of respect. He further enhanced the property by constructing an attractive $10,000 stone rectory using the same materials as the main church building. Through his untiring zeal and leadership, he guided his congregation to fulfill a lasting legacy in the spiritual and architectural history of Reedley.